


Matt's birthday party

by orphan_account



Series: One or the Other [6]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Angst, Coming Out to Parents, Drinking, Implied homophobia, M/M, Panic Attack, gratuitous knuckle kisses and forehead kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 17:57:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13059186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Aaron and Matt go to Randy's house to celebrate Matt's birthday - only, there are a couple extra people there Aaron didn't expect. Drama ensues.





	Matt's birthday party

**Author's Note:**

> idk what to tag this as, honestly so let me know if i should add something
> 
> prompt from @theterrorthatflapsatnight: aaron meeting matts parents. Like officially. Angst ofc because aaron and moms and matts dad 
> 
> soooo this happened? and i don't think it's exactly what you asked for, but well. it is what it is. 
> 
> the ridiculous amount of forehead and knuckle kisses is for bryn <3
> 
> ~enjoy

For the most part, the summer has been very relaxed. Aaron has virtually nothing to worry about. His acceptance to Perelman is solid, he has an apartment lined up and ready to go for the start of classes in September, and he almost feels like he's ready to take on the world. He'd moved up to New York to live with Matt for the summer since he didn't want to stay in the house in Columbia. They've enjoyed it, spending a lot of their time bumming around the city or Matt's apartment, even going to Philly for a few days so Aaron could see the campus and familiarize himself with Philly a bit. They've been living in their own private little bubble, mostly, and it's been better than Aaron could have expected or hoped.

But that bubble has popped. Randy called and insisted they both come to her house in NYC to celebrate Matt's birthday. It's just for the weekend, and Aaron knows he has no reason to be so nervous - especially considering Randy knows about them thanks to the Christmas fiasco with Rich Currie - but he still feels nauseous as Matt parks his truck in Randy's driveway.

“Ready?” Matt asks with a smile. Aaron just shrugs. He knows Aaron's nervous, and even though he told Aaron he had nothing to worry about, he doesn't try to push too hard. He takes Aaron's hand and kisses his knuckles gently. Aaron tugs his hand back to himself and unbuckles his seatbelt. A moment later, he and Matt are walking to the door.

“Who's here?” Aaron asks, staring at the rental car in the driveway.

“Dan,” Matt says with a grin. “Mom said she called and asked to come since she knows Mom likes to do shit for my birthday when she can.

“Oh,” Aaron says very quietly. He feels like he isn't wanted already. Is this Randy's way of subtly trying to get Matt and Dan back together? It wouldn't surprise him. His stomach sinks like a rock. He doesn't want to be here at all. Maybe...maybe he can convince Matt that it was a bad idea for him to come. He has some money. He could get a hotel room for the weekend.

“Babe.” Matt stops before they reach the door and turns to look at Aaron. “Mom asked for you to come. She wants you here. I can hear your brain going a million miles an hour. Dan and I are still really good friends. Just like you and Katelyn. You know that.”

Aaron nods because he does know. He's never begrudged Matt’s friendship with Dan. How could he? He'd be the biggest hypocrite in the world. Still. “Dan doesn't know about us, though.”

“You asked me not to say anything,” Matt says with a slight frown. “I mean...she'll find out now, won't she? Is that okay?”

“Yeah,” Aaron says quietly. “That's…” He chews on the inside of his lip for a moment. He can't look at Matt, so he stares at the ground. “I don't care if Dan doesn't like it. But...what if your mom…” He sighs, irritated with himself, and looks up at Matt. “What if this is your mom's way of trying to get the two of you back together?”

“It's not,” Matt says with total conviction. He rests one hand on the side of Aaron's neck. “Mom called me and told me Dan asked to come, but she made sure it was okay with me before she said yes to Dan. I swear, Aaron, it’s not like that. Mom wouldn’t do that anyway. But look. If you’re uncomfortable after a few hours, we’ll figure out an excuse and leave early, okay?”

“You don’t have to do that,” Aaron says quietly. “I’m not going to take your fucking birthday party away from you. I’ll suck it up, or I’ll get a hotel or something. Don’t - don’t worry about me.”

“Of course I’m going to worry about you.” Matt bends and kisses Aaron’s forehead. “Why don't we go inside, for now, see how things go, and then we’ll figure out what we want to do, okay?”

Aaron grimaces. “It's your fucking birthday, Matt. I'm not about to ruin this for you. Let's -”

“You aren't going to ruin anything,” Matt says quickly. “You are my boyfriend. Fuck anyone who has a problem with that.” Matt sighs. “Up to and including my mom.”

“You don't mean that,” Aaron mutters. He pulls away from Matt and walks toward the door. “Don't worry about it.”

“Babe -”

“Drop it, Matt!” Aaron snaps. He hates himself, more than a little bit, for getting so mad about it, but he can't stop it. He lets out a slow breath through his teeth. “Sorry. Just… Let's go in, okay?”

Matt rubs Aaron's back as he steps up beside him. “We’ll talk about this again later, all right?”

“Fine,” Aaron mutters, though he doesn’t mean it. He's on edge as Matt reaches out and pushes open the door. Randy is nice, she really is, but Aaron - Aaron can't trust her. He doesn't even like to be close to her. Still, he won't ruin this for Matt. He should have just kept his mouth shut earlier. He won't make that mistake again. Whatever happens over the weekend, he'll keep it to himself. It's only two days.

Dan and Randy are in the living room. They both stand, smiling, and come to embrace Matt. Dan looks slightly confused to see Aaron by Matt's side, and even more confused as Randy hugs him - and he allows it. But then, as Aaron slowly shuffles off to the side to avoid any of the familiar touching and to just stay out of the way in general, he sees someone he hasn’t seen in quite a long time - Matt’s dad.

“Hey, Matt!” Donald Boyd greets his son with a friendly, too-wide grin and a slap on the back followed by a one-armed hug.

Matt is obviously just as surprised to see him as Aaron is, but he recovers quickly. “Hey, Dad. I didn’t know you were going to be here. How’ve you been?” Aaron shrinks further back from the little group, feeling even more out of place by the minute. He sort of wishes, much like he used to when he was years younger, that he could vanish through a hole in the floor or into the shadows. He notices that even Dan looks a little uncomfortable as she steps around the little group of Matt, Donald, and Randy, and comes to join Aaron by the wall.

“I didn’t realize you were coming too,” Dan says with a forced smile. “Congrats on graduating, by the way. You got into Perelman, right?”

Aaron nods. He waits until Randy offers them all drinks and grabs several bottles of beer from her fridge to pass around. He takes a sip of his and looks directly at Dan. Best to just get it over with. Like ripping off a band-aid.

“Matt is my boyfriend,” he says in the flattest voice he can manage. He almost wants to pat himself on the back just for getting the words out at all, but he can’t quite give himself that credit. Matt’s worked him up to the idea of it gradually, and it was really the mess with Rich over Christmas that forced him to acknowledge that Matt meant a fuckton more to him that he was willing - or ready - to admit. But he’s doing better about it. Loads better.

Dan’s eyes widen a bit. She doesn’t quite choke on her sip of beer, but it’s a near thing. Aaron just stares her down, waiting for her to challenge him or - something. He doesn’t quite know. But all she says is, “Okay. Are things going okay? I mean, I talk to Matt all the time, but he never mentioned…”

“I told him not to.” Aaron looks away from her at that point. Randy is hovering near Donald and Matt, a tense smile on her face. Donald makes a dirty joke that leaves Matt grimacing and Randy nearly livid.

“Why?” Dan asks quietly.

“Because it wasn’t anyone’s business.” Aaron takes another sip of his beer and watches as Randy gently extracts Matt from Donald’s grasp and begins to herd everyone out back. “I didn’t want anyone to know.”

Dan frowns at him as Randy coaxes them outside as well. The grill is already going, and there’s a covered pile of hamburgers ready to go on, along with buns and condiments and other things on another table not too far away. Aaron stands on the other side of the table, about as far from everyone else as he can get, and just sips at his beer as he listens to Randy and Donald bicker over the burgers and how to cook them and Dan and Matt speak quietly. Matt shoots him a look with raised eyebrows, apparently when Dan tells Matt that Aaron just dropped that bombshell on her about them being together, but all Aaron does is shrug and look away.

“Babe,” Matt says quietly, rubbing one hand on his shoulder as he joins him. Dan has followed him. “I thought…”

Aaron shrugs. “Dan didn’t know why I was here. Your dad’s gonna ask at some point, too. I just don’t care anymore.”

“I couldn’t give less of a shit about what my dad thinks,” Matt says honestly.

“Wow, Matt, harsh,” Donald says, coming to stand on the other side of the table. He’s grinning, though. “What is it that you don’t care what I think about?”

Matt hesitates, looking at Aaron first. Aaron just rolls his eyes. “I’m his boyfriend,” he says, just as flatly as he said it to Dan. Maybe if he can get all of this over with and out of the way, he won’t have to feel so fucking nauseous about it. He can just get drunk and stay quiet for the rest of the night and keep out of the way so Matt can have a good time.

Donald’s grin falls. He looks over at Matt slowly, then at Dan, then back to Matt. “But I thought you were still with Dan?”

“We broke up a while ago,” Dan says. “I’d just started coaching, and Matt was still at PSU, and we didn’t have the time for each other anymore. It wasn’t working out. We’re still friends, but that’s all.”

“I see.” Donald presses his lips into a thin line. He doesn’t look at Aaron at all. “Well.” He turns his back on all three of them and goes over to Randy, getting right up next to her shoulder and muttering in her ear.

“That went well,” Dan says dryly. She takes a long drink of her beer just as Aaron begins to chug the remainder of his. He really needs something stronger for this. Dan looks at Matt and smacks him lightly in the shoulder with the back of her hand. “Does Randy still keep the liquor in the same place?” Matt nods. “Great, I’m gonna go get some.” She heads inside.

“Aaron, I really don’t give a shit about what he thinks,” Matt says, cupping the side of Aaron’s jaw. “He kind of lost all of my respect when he got me hooked on coke and heroin. So don’t - don’t worry about it, okay?”

“I don’t really care,” Aaron says with a shrug. He’s buried his feelings on the matter by now. He’s had enough practice, after all. It just took him a little while to remember exactly how to do it. He shrugs Matt off. “I have to pee.” He heads inside and finds the bathroom Randy pointed out as they’d passed it on their way to the backyard. After he’s washed his hands, he finds Dan in the kitchen with a few different bottles on the counter, along with a carton of orange juice and a two-liter of Coke.

“Pick your poison,” Dan says with a slight smile.

“Got a glass?” Aaron asks. She nods and reaches over to flick open a cabinet. She pulls down two glasses and slides one over to him. He motions for the second one as well, so she slides that one over, too. “What do you want?”

“I was just going to do some rum and Coke,” Dan says with a shrug.

“Ice?” Aaron asks. Dan holds up a finger, so Aaron waits while she goes to the freezer and takes out the big bucket that holds the ice from the automatic ice maker. She sets it on the counter beside him. He scoops both glasses into the ice to collect a few pieces, then he grabs the rum for her drink and pours a generous amount into the glass, followed by the Coke. He slides it over to her and grabs the bottle of tequila for his own drink, making a mixture that’s about 70% tequila and 30% orange juice.

“Nice. Thanks,” Dan says after her first sip. “I always forget that you and Andrew and Nicky worked at that club in Columbia.” Aaron just shrugs and takes a big sip of his drink. She grabs more glasses from the cabinet, so Aaron makes Matt a rum and Coke too. Dan puts the ice back in the freezer and the orange juice back in the fridge, but she leaves everything else where it is. “Are you okay? You seem very… Andrew right now.” Aaron sneers at her and Dan laughs. “Nevermind, it’s gone.”

“I offered to leave earlier, but Matt said no,” Aaron says with a shrug.

“Why should you leave?” Dan asks. “I mean, I didn’t know you two were together, but it’s not like I have a problem with it? It’s weird, I gotta say, but only because I never expected it. As long as you two are happy, then I’m happy for you. Fuck what anyone else thinks.”

Aaron just sighs. “This is supposed to be Matt’s birthday party. It’s supposed to be a great time and be all about him and - and whatever. And it would be if I wasn’t here. So just keep it to yourself, all right? I really don’t want to fucking hear it.” He turns to walk away, but Dan is quick to dart around him and block his path.

“If Donald fucking Boyd wants to be an asshat and try to ruin Matt’s birthday over the two of you being together, you can bet your ass Randy will kick him out of this house so fast his head spins. And I’ll be right here helping her. But you can’t walk around here like a fucking zombie and blame yourself for shit that hasn’t even happened yet.” Aaron says nothing, just takes a sip of his drink as he gives her a flat, blank stare. She huffs in frustration and tosses her hands in the air. “You’re impossible. I really don’t know how Matt deals with you.”

“Christ, Dan.” Aaron almost flinches at Matt’s voice. Almost. Dan turns and looks at him, a guilty expression already on her face. “Aaron’s stressed the fuck out, so maybe just back off a little?”

“You don’t have to fight my battles for me,” Aaron says with a light shrug. He holds out the drink he made for Matt. Once Matt takes it, he walks around the both of them and goes straight back outside. He can hear Dan say something to Matt, but he doesn’t care to try to listen in.

“Raided the liquor cabinet, I see,” Randy says with a wink and a laugh. He nods. “I don’t blame you. How have you been, honey? I didn’t ask earlier, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Aaron says quietly. “I move to Philly next week.”

“That’s what Matt said,” Randy says with a nod. She sits in one of the lawn chairs by the grill and gestures for Aaron to sit as well. He does, reluctantly. “I’m sure you’ll love it. Philly’s a great city. And you won’t have your own exy games to worry about anymore, so maybe Matt can get down there to see you, or you can come up here to see him more often than you guys got to see each other last year, huh?”

“Maybe,” Aaron says with a little shrug. He’s not very hopeful, to be completely honest, but he and Matt have talked about it, and they’ll do what they can when they can. Matt insisted on buying Aaron a new laptop just last week. He needed it, sure, but he could have made his old one work. Matt said it was so they could Skype with decent quality webcams, so Aaron didn’t argue too much.

“Something wrong?” Randy asks, nudging Aaron's knee with her own. Aaron shakes his head, but Randy just rolls her eyes. “I'm a mom, Aaron. I can always tell when something is wrong. And you're like, another son to me now, so spill.”

Aaron just stares at her for a long moment. “What?”

Randy gives him a gentle smile. “Everyone needs a mom sometimes, Aaron. A good one. So spill.” She lifts her beer and takes a drink and waits patiently for Aaron to speak.

“It's nothing,” Aaron says, looking away from her. He can't open up to her, can't trust her.

“Well, if you want to talk to me, you always can, okay?” She pats his knee and stands up to return to the grill. Aaron had thought Donald was telling her about Matt and Aaron being together, but maybe not? Aaron doesn't want to ask.

A few minutes later, Dan and Matt come back outside. Donald, who had vanished as well, returns to the yard from a side gate around the corner of the house. Randy gets everyone’s burgers on plates, and they fix them how they like them. They wind up gathered around the small table to eat. It's noticeably tense, but Aaron doesn't speak to anyone unless asked a direct question -and that only happens once when Randy asks him if the burger tastes okay, and his only response is a nod.

After they eat, Dan and Randy bring the liquor outside, and Aaron fixes himself another glass of mostly tequila with a little bit of orange juice. Matt pulls him close and kisses his forehead at one point, which prompts a troubled look from Donald. Aaron makes it a point to slide away from Matt and shake his head when Matt tries to do it a second time.

“What's wrong?” Matt asks quietly. They're only on the other side of the table, but Dan has her phone hooked up to a speaker and is playing some music while she talks to Randy and Donald about the team she's coaching.

“Just don't,” Aaron mutters. He takes another sip of his drink, though he honestly just wants to down the whole thing and then take the tequila bottle and drown in it. That would certainly make all of this easier to bear.

“Can you tell me why?” Matt asks. Aaron sighs. The careful wording and gentle squeeze to his fingers under the table where no one else can see mean more to him than he knows how to express. When did Matt learn him so well? How did this happen?

Aaron looks up at Matt, then deliberately slides his gaze over to Donald. Matt frowns. He turns his head and looks at his dad, who quickly averts his own gaze and pretends like he's been engrossed in Dan's story the whole time. Aaron doesn't like Matt's dad on principle - he did the same thing to Matt that Tilda did to him - but this is…this is something else. Aaron can push his dislike away and pretend to get along with Donald for a few hours for Matt's sake. That's not terribly difficult. But he's never really had to face this kind of problem before, and he doesn't know how to handle it. He doesn't want to handle it at all.

Matt tugs Aaron's hand out from under the table and brings it up to his mouth. He kisses Aaron's knuckles gently. Aaron tries to pull his hand away, but Matt keeps his hold tight, though he does lower their hands once more. He squeezes Aaron's hand tightly. Dan stops talking for a moment.

“I have to ask this,” Matt says, leaning back in his chair and looking at the three of them, “and I don't really want to have to, but it's important to me. Do any of you have a problem with Aaron and I being together?” Aaron feels his stomach plummet - probably down to the center of the Earth - but he doesn't say or do anything. Matt left him almost completely out of that, though he knows it's meant for him…

“Of course not,” Randy says softly. “I just want you to be happy and healthy, honey, and I can see that Aaron makes you happy.” She smiles. “And it's a bonus that he’ll be a doctor soon.” She winks at Aaron, and he feels himself flush slightly at the praise, subtle though it is.

“I don't either,” Dan says with an easy shrug. “Yeah, it's still a little weird, but I guess it'll just take me a little while to get used to the idea.” She grins wide enough to show off most of her teeth.

Matt looks at Donald and waits for a moment. Donald has his lips pressed tightly together. “Dad?” Matt asks. “Something to say?” There's a deliberate challenge in his voice.

“Matt, you're a pro athlete,” Donald says with a sigh. “I get it if being with him was some fun thing you did when you were in college? But it's time to grow up now and -”

“Donald!” Randy shouts. “Are you fucking kidding me right now? Did I or did I not tell you about what happened over Christmas?”

“Yeah, and none of that would have happened if they weren't together in the first place,” Donald says, crossing his arms over his chest. Aaron wants to throw up when Donald points at him. “You're going to Philadelphia for med school, right? Just go, leave my son out of it. Find yourself a nice girl and -”

“That's enough.” Aaron doesn't think he's heard Matt sound quite this angry in years. He can't move to look at him, though. He can't even squeeze Matt's hand in return. “If you have such a fucking problem with us, maybe you should leave.”

“Don't be like that -”

“I've never said one word against your girlfriends, have I?” Matt asks, sitting up and then leaning over the table. “Even that one chick who was my fucking age. If I can be a big enough person to look past who you decide to fuck, maybe you can do the same for the man I actually love. So fuck you and get out.”

“I agree with Matt,” Randy says. “Get out, Donald.”

Donald stands and drains the last of his beer. He slams the bottle down on the table and looks at Matt. “You'll regret it one day, Matt. I can promise you that.” He twists slightly to look at Aaron. “And good fucking luck trying to find work in this state.” He sneers coldly. “I'll make sure no one will ever consider hiring you.”

Aaron distantly feels Matt's hand tighten on his as Randy stands and grabs Donald’s arm to haul him through the yard and out the side gate. He can hear them shouting at each other. Finally, it's too much. He jerks to his feet and snatches his hand free from Matt's hold. He darts inside and finds the bathroom quickly. He slams the door closed, but he doesn't manage to lock it before he collapses by the toilet and pukes up his dinner and all the orange juice and tequila he'd had.

He coughs a little as he dry heaves once his stomach is empty. It's all he can do to flush everything before he collapses in a small heap on the floor, not quite able to catch his breath. He folds his arms over his head and tries to focus on getting his breathing under control - like Betsy has taught him before - and he tries to focus on things outside himself, but he just can't. He's trapped in a vicious cycle of thought that just keeps dragging him down.

He knew something like this would happen eventually. It's not that Matt's dad doesn't approve of them, not really. He can deal with that - he _can_. It's that threat Donald made. Donald is a well-respected heart surgeon. He knows people. Aaron never could quite manage to make himself suck up enough to talk to Donald about getting a good reference or anything like that - and he had others for that sort of thing, so he wasn't terribly worried about it - but this… Donald really can do major damage to his career just by talking negatively about him. It isn't right, and it certainly isn't fair, but it's very, very possible.

“Aaron?” He can hear Matt, but he can't make himself move or _breathe_ , so he can't speak to answer. “Aaron, I'm coming in, okay?” Aaron just digs his fingers into his hair and waits. He hears the door open and close, and a moment later, he feels Matt’s hands on his.

Matt rubs his back in wide, slow circles. “Breathe, baby,” Matt says softly. “Just breathe.” Aaron finally manages one breath, which allows him to take another, and another, and after a few minutes, he's breathing mostly regularly again. Matt gently pulls him up by his shoulder and then maneuvers Aaron into his lap where he's sitting on the floor with his back to the wall. Aaron hides his face against Matt's chest, hoping Matt won't notice that he's crying.

“Can you tell me which part freaked you out?” Matt asks, still rubbing his hand over Aaron's back - up and down now, rather than in circles. Aaron shrugs. “Was it that my dad doesn't want us together?” Aaron shakes his head. “Him saying that the shit with at Christmas was your fault?” Aaron shakes his head to that, too. He hadn't even really caught that to be honest. Regardless, he agrees with that statement. “Was it him saying that stuff about you not working in New York?” Aaron hesitates, then he nods, his fingers clenching at Matt's shirt. He wants so badly to bite his knuckles, but he's been trying very hard not to.

Matt sighs and presses his cheek to Aaron's head. “He won't actually do that I don't think,” Matt says quietly. “And if he does, I think Mom might sue him or something. I just can't see him being that petty. But so what. Even if he does do it, you're still like, the smartest person I know, and you work so fucking hard for absolutely everything. You'll work just as hard when you get to med school, and you'll blow everyone away and impress them all.”

Aaron just shakes his head. He has no idea how Matt has so much faith and confidence in him, but it never seems to waver. Matt coaxes him into sitting up, and he kisses him once very softly. “Thanks, I guess,” Aaron whispers, closing his eyes and pressing his forehead to Matt's.

“Anytime,” Matt says, and Aaron can hear the smile in his voice. “Come on. We’ll get you some crackers and shit.” Aaron slides out of Matt's lap. Matt is on his feet before Aaron manages it - he's dizzy. Matt keeps his arm around Aaron's shoulders as they go to the kitchen and dig around in Randy's pantry for some plain crackers. Matt even finds some Sprite and pours some in a cup of ice. They go back outside to sit.

“You okay?” Dan asks Aaron, her eyebrows pinched. Aaron shrugs and nods in the same motion. “What happened?”

“Panic attack,” Aaron says dully. He flops into the same chair he was in earlier and takes a sip of the Sprite before grabbing a cracker to nibble at. “Happens.”

“I have some Xanax if you need one?” Randy offers with a small frown. Aaron is quick to shake his head before he allows himself to accept. “Well -” Aaron is staring at the table, but he's pretty sure he sees Dan shake her head at Randy to cut her off. “Okay then.” Randy sighs. “I'm so sorry about Donald.”

“Don't apologize for him, Mom,” Matt says, a bit of bitterness creeping into his tone. “He doesn't deserve it.”

“No, but the two of you do,” Randy says. “Everything he said was completely uncalled for.”

Aaron can't say anything. He doesn't agree, not really. He knew - knows - there are a lot of people like Matt's dad and worse. This is something he'll deal with for as long as he's with Matt. It's fine. He doesn't care, not really, not about what they think anyway. He cares only in the sense that it can ruin his life - like Donald's threat or when he was beaten so badly so many years ago.

“Well, now that the asshat is gone,” Dan says, “Matt? Wanna eat cake and open your gifts?”

“Sure,” Matt says with a smile. Aaron can tell he's trying hard to salvage the party. He still feels like it's his fault everything turned so sour in the first place, but he knows better than to bring it up. Dan goes inside and brings an ice cream cake outside. She cuts everyone a piece - even Aaron.

Today is one of the few days Matt willingly wrecks his diet to hell and back. He won't truly suffer for it. He works out too much and too hard for that. Aaron nibbles at his piece of the ice cream cake, but he can't eat much of it. It's not that he doesn't like it, he just still feels sick.

Matt opens a gift from Dan that turns out to be a game called Cards Against Humanity. They agree to play it in a little bit, but as Matt flips through some of the cards, they all laugh at how horrible the humor is. Aaron suspects a game like that just gets funnier the more people drink. She's also bought Matt a bottle of his favorite brand of rum.

Randy makes Matt open one of hers next. It's a new pair of really nice boots. Aaron is glad for them since he knows Matt has been thinking about getting them for himself. The next gift is a couple of video games Matt has wanted and just never got for himself. He is ecstatic.

“What did you get Matt?” Dan asks Aaron with a sly grin.

“Oh! It's in the truck.” Matt jumps up and drops a kiss to the top of Aaron's head. “He wouldn't let me open it early.” He laughs. “I'll go grab it!” He jogs off around the side of the house to the gate.

“Do you need anything, honey?” Randy asks softly. Aaron shakes his head. “All right. Well, just let me know if you do, okay?”

“I'm fine,” Aaron says with a light shrug. He isn't, but he's not about to tell them that.

“You sound like Neil,” Dan teases. “ _I'm fine_.” She laughs a little at Aaron's grimace.

Matt comes back just a moment later with a wrapped box in his hands. He puts in on the table and sits down. Looking at Aaron, he asks, “Can I open it now, babe?”

“Christ, yes,” Aaron says as he rolls his eyes. He looks at Randy as Matt tears into the paper. “I don't know how you dealt with him at Christmas or whatever. The box was in the apartment for two days, and he wouldn't shut up about asking to open it.”

Randy bursts out laughing. “Oh, I know what you mean! When he was little, I could only put presents under the tree if they weren't for him. Come Christmas Eve, after he went to bed, I'd finally shove all his presents under the tree at once. The one year I just tossed them under the tree as I got them and wrapped them, he bugged me every single day to open one.”

“I like presents,” Matt says defensively. “Presents are fun.” He takes the lid off the box, and his eyes go wide. “Holy shit, baby.” His hand skims over the front of the folded leather jacket. “This is so nice.”

“There's more,” Aaron says boredly. “Pick it up.” Matt looks at him with a raised eyebrow, but he does pick the jacket up. He stands and shrugs into it. It fits, at least. Aaron had been a little worried about that. It zips up the side rather than the middle. Matt grins fiercely. Under the jacket, there's a big book.

“Holy fuck!” Matt laughs as he grabs the book and holds it up. It's _The Walking Dead: Compendium One_. He flips through it quickly, grinning like mad. “This is awesome! Thank you!” He puts the book down and gently grabs Aaron's cheeks, kissing him deeply right in front of Randy and Dan. It makes Aaron turn red, but Matt's so happy, he can't begrudge him the kiss. Matt is distracted again soon anyway, going around the table to hug and thank Dan and his mom as well.

They settle in and play the card game Dan bought him, and they have a surprisingly good time. It exposes all of them for what they find funny, but it's so worth it. Aaron has one drink as they play, and he relaxes a little as he collects several black cards and finally wins the game. By that time, it's after midnight, so they call it a night and begin to clean everything up. Matt takes his gifts upstairs, so Aaron goes out to the truck and grabs their overnight bags.

Randy meets up with him when he comes back inside and takes him upstairs, showing him to the room she's set up for Matt and Aaron - to share. Aaron thanks her quietly and he even hugs her back a little as she tells him goodnight. Dan leaves the bathroom and calls out a cheerful goodnight as well. Aaron doesn't fail to notice how Dan and Randy's rooms are both on one side of the hall, and his and Matt's room is on the other. It makes him blush, but he doesn't mention it.

He goes into the bedroom and drops their bags on the bed. Matt is admiring himself in his new jacket in the mirror on the dresser. He spins and darts over to Aaron, catching him in a tight embrace. “Thank you so much, babe. I love this jacket. It's great!”

“You're welcome,” Aaron says softly. He smiles a little into Matt's next kiss. “I'm glad you like it.”

“I love it,” Matt corrects. He laughs a bit, then pulls away from Aaron. He shrugs out of the jacket and lays it on top of the dresser. “Let's go to bed, babe. You look tired.” Aaron nods, since he is tired, and they change into gym shorts to sleep in. Aaron adds a tee shirt, but Matt doesn't. Aaron certainly doesn't mind. He likes to look at Matt, likes to run his hands over his skin and feel the muscles there. He has virtually no fat on his body, and it shows.

They curl up in the bed together, and Matt kisses Aaron's forehead again. “I know you don't like to hear me say it sometimes, but I love you.” Matt smiles at him as Aaron sighs. “Fuck my dad and fuck anyone else who wants to try and say we shouldn't be together.”

Aaron looks at Matt for a long time. He closes his eyes for a moment, then he opens them again. Matt is still smiling softly, one hand gently brushing through Aaron's hair, the other curled around one of Aaron's hands. He...he might love Matt in return, but he can't admit that yet. It's too soon, too much. He just presses forward and kisses Matt and hopes that's enough for now.

“Sleep, babe,” Matt says gently. “We’ll go home tomorrow after breakfast, okay?”

“Okay,” Aaron says. He can admit that he really wants to get away from this place. He's glad Matt is offering him this escape.

They're still working things out - sometimes they get pissed off at each other over stupid things - but they're learning each other and more often than not, they meet in the middle with things. They are learning to compromise with everything, and it's good for both of them. Aaron falls asleep to Matt's warm smile, and he thinks that, come whatever may, what he has with Matt? It's worth it...

 

**Author's Note:**

> comments are always greatly appreciated ♥


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